Water, Medicaid are predominant topics at Legislative forum

     It was billed as a forum to discuss economic issues that are important to Jones County businesses.

     But the Jones County Economic Development Legislative Forum on Friday, Jan. 19 focused more on statewide issues being tackled by the Iowa Legislature during its current session.

     On hand to make comments and answer public questions were Sen. Tod Bowman (D-Maquoketa), Sen. Dan Zumbach (R-Ryan), Rep. Lee Hein (R-Monticello) and Rep. Andy McKean (R-Anamosa).

     The topics most discussed during the hour-long session were water quality and Medicaid as it relates to health care and mental health.

     Each of the legislators made opening statements, with each outlining what areas and on which committees they serve. Each of them also made general remarks about hopes for the current session.

     “I’m very hopeful that this year we’re going to have a much more bipartisan, inclusive approach as we tackle some of the big issues that we all face,” McKean said. “Not as Republicans and Democrats but as Iowans.”

     Regarding water quality, Zumbach and Hein said that plans are in the works.

     “There’s a bill (on water quality) that came out of the house two years ago,” Zumbach said. “Minor changes happened to it in the Senate last year, and it’s alive, and sitting at the House. We think it’s a good bill, we think it has bipartisan support, and it’s a great beginning point.”

     Hein agreed: “We’re working on it. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if in the next couple of weeks, we pick it up on the floor and have the debate. And if I have anything to say about it, it will move from there with passage to the governor’s office, and she will sign it.

     “That doesn’t mean water quality’s done with,” Hein said. “It’s an ongoing discussion, and we need to look at more funding down the road.”

     All four legislators spoke about the privatized Medicaid program, that was addressed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in her recent Condition of the State speech.

     McKean commented about the speech in his opening statements.

     “It was refreshing to me to have a governor who was willing to get up there in front of everybody and say mistakes have been made,” McKean said. “The way we proceeded to managed care has been very unfortunate. I think it was done too quickly, and we’ve had all kinds of problems.”

     Later, he added, “A large percentage of the problems are from our most fragile residents. We are going to be presented with a number of different proposals to help fix the situation.”

     Zumbach said: “The reason it hasn’t been fixed is because the actual answer doesn’t exist yet. We’re aware there’s a problem, and we’re going to work toward a fix.”

     Added Bowman: “It’s probably the biggest issue we have to address this session. We’re talking about real people that are being treated unfairly.

     “We’ve made a terrible mistake in privatizing this. Now we need to work together moving forward. And it’s only going to happen well in a bipartisan manner.”

     Other topics surfaced as well. One question was offered about future IPERS, the retirement pension program for educators.

     The legislators agreed that the system is one of the best in the nation, and that they have no plans to eliminate it.

     “I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Hein said.

     They also responded to a question about making it more difficult for able-bodied people to stay on government programs.

     “If it’s truly a person who’s trying to avoid work and collect government funds, we want them contributing back to society,” Bowman said. “If there’s a way we can make that happen, I’ll be completely supportive of it.”

     “Some people might think such an effort is mean-spirited, but I think it’s compassionate in many ways, because you want people who are able to, to be contributing members of society,” McKean said. “I think it’s a very reasonable suggestion, and I think it’s been very seriously looked at, but to be done carefully and properly, so it works.”